Core77's Design Directory

I had a transparent reusable water bottle I used to bring to my training hall, but I stopped using it because these gross black dots were forming on the inside near the bottom and they were difficult to scrub out, even with a bristle brush. The developers of the

If every design entrepreneur had Rewilder's philosophy, the world would be a better place

Designers Lisa Siedlecki and Jennifer Silbert worked in fashion and architecture, respectively, two industries where they saw their share of wasted materials. Three years ago they'd had enough and quit, teaming up to produce something useful and ecologically responsible. "We started Rewilder to combat the fast fashion craze with meticulous

Proceeds for the Deep Blue Bag will go towards ocean preservation

Sustainable Surf is a California-based nonprofit that seeks to use surf culture to get people interested in environmental issues concerning our oceans. When they recently teamed up with Mafia Bags, an upcycling bag manufacturing company, to create a useful backpack, they found the perfect designer for it: Yves Behar.

…and it's caught fire on Kickstarter

One of the best parts of camping is sitting around a fire with your friends--unless you're in that position where the wind is blowing the smoke directly in your face. BioLite has solved this with their FirePit, an intelligently-designed sort of floating hearth that uses 51 air jets to

...plus you can trade your used stuff in for credit

Maybe you buy a backpack for your new camping hobby, then discover you hate camping. Or there's a two-year-old jacket in your closet that you hardly ever wear because it looked better on you in the store. Maybe you received a better bike light as a birthday gift, and now

The Algae Dome provides fresh air and protein, and asks for little in return

Imagine living millennia ago, in a time when you've never seen a horse. Everywhere you and your tribe go is by walking. Then one of you discovers horses and figures out how to ride one. Now you've discovered the perfect sustainable transportation system. Horses eat grass, which is free. That

Entries Due December 1

Designers have a critical role to play by envisioning products made with safe materials that can be perpetually cycled, and that eliminate the concept of "waste". The C2C Product Design Challenge enables current, emerging, and future designers to learn and apply critical strategies for envisioning products for the circular economy,

The company's most exciting material development since Flyknit

Nike's Flyknit has become synonymous with the brand, now used in everything from sneakers to sports bras. The knit material is more sustainable than many materials used in footwear and fashion, mainly due to its minimal waste production. But since Flyknit's conception in 2012, Nike has been more focused on

And where does your state line up?

What happens when you plug your Prius in? Are you ultimately drawing power from coal, nuclear, wind, biomass? It depends on where you live. Most of us know that America generates its electricity from a multitude of sources, as shown in this graphic: However, that pie chart doesn't accurately represent

Watch as the company founder literally drinks one of the bags to show you that it's safe

As we recently learned, much of our planet's supply of drinking water is infested with plastic microfibers. Single-use plastic items like shopping bags and drinking straws are some of the culprits. To combat the impact of discarded plastic bags on the environment, an Indonesian company called Avani has created

Also, comedian Bill Burr's take on how to ensure enough resources for all

In the upcoming movie Downsizing, filmmaker Alexander Payne, the guy who did Election, Sideways and About Schmidt, has come up with a way to address the world's overpopulation crisis: Use science to shrink people down to just five inches in height. Think about it: You can have a huge house

Plus some cool process clips

Performance sneakers made from wool sound too warm and itchy to be true, so we were intrigued when Allbirds took to Kickstarter to pitch their Wool Runners to the world back in 2014—and reached their maximum target in just five days. When you think about this classic example of an

The collection will launch at Somerset House during London Design Festival

Benjamin Hubert of LAYER design will be launching a furniture collection for UK furniture company Allermuir at London Design Festival's Somerset House. The three piece collection consisting of a chair, a barstool and a small café table will be amongst many projects at the center for engaging design discussion and

There are two areas where designers might be able to help

Because Orb Media is a nonprofit journalism organization, they don't have to worry about pissing off advertisers or manufacturing sensational stories to attract eyeballs. Instead they can focus on their mission, which is to research and produce stories of global import. Their goal is to write about issues that affect

Will design longevity work for VW again?

Volkswagen, whose reputation is still reeling from their emissions-cheating scandal, desperately needs a hit product. The company is unique in that they had the world's longest-running, most-produced car ever in their venerable Beetle, a/k/a the Type 1; between 1938 and 2003, some 21.5 million rolled off of assembly lines

Having made his fortune on the sea, Kjell Inge Røkke wants to help clean it up

A gent named Kjell Inge Røkke is one of Norway's richest men, worth some $2.6 billion. He made his fortune in the shipping and offshore drilling industries. "The sea has given me great opportunities. I am grateful for that," Røkke told Aftenposten. "I will give back to the community the

Get prepared before that Fourth of July getaway

The official first day of summer was this week, and with that begins plans for epic outdoor adventures. To help jumpstart your planning, we've compiled a list some of our favorite items that camping objects that feel essential rather than overdone and help make sure you conduct your camping or

The winners of the bi-annual Product Design Challenge seek out new ways for design to drive the circular economy

The bi-annual Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge asks emerging designers to develop new solutions for improving our environment through sustainable design. Each iteration of the challenge brings us closer to realizing the imperative to create a circular market standard. Presented by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute in

Engman will be speaking today at the What Design Can Do conference about IKEA's sustainability initiatives

Since taking the role of head designer at IKEA several years ago, Marcus Engman has led a great effort to match the most well-known furniture company in the world with the best designers working in the business today. Why? Because he believes that high-quality design should be accessible to anyone.

A vital communication link to outlying populations

Planetary Power HyGen is a hybrid generator that combines high-efficiency technology with integrated lithium-ion batteries, providing a vital communication link to outlying populations. It is a cost-effective, sustainable, and reliable alternative to conventional generators for use at off-grid telecom towers. HyGen’s engine runs at variable speeds and only operates to charge its batteries, making the batteries the primary power source. Fuel consumption is reduced by 60%, extending the refueling

Shelters made from coffee, mirrors coated in thermochromic ink, well designed sausage and more

This year's Ventura Lambrate themes are Social Design and Cultural Heritage—two very open-ended themes that invite designers to show work that address global change and/or represents their country of origin. We're happy to see most designers bringing thought-provoking work along these lines to the table. Within the two themes, we're

Outside of America, lots of countries have more than three measly recycling bins, with consumers trained to separate different types of plastic to make things easier at the recycling facilities. A local in Korea explained to me that after you're done with a drink bottle, the caps (polypropylene) go into one bin, while the bottles (PET) go into another.

Made from corn but not corny

The Reebok Future team recently announced their Cotton + Corn sustainable products initiative, which will include a pair of sneakers made from organic cotton and inedible corn waste. The Cotton + Corn shoes feature an upper made from organic cotton and a sole made from inedible corn waste. This cute

At Milan Design Week, Max Lamb and Christien Meindertsma are working with a new manufactured material that brings to light design's impact on sustainability

At the beginning of 2017, IDEO launched a website meant to serve as a guide and resource for designers hoping to support the "circular economy", or, the idea that designers and industries must begin to imbue in their design consciousness that products should be created with the intent of continually

Keep it casual and design furniture made from HDPE in the Hope State

Seaside Casual is a leader in the design and manufacture of outdoor furniture, made from recycled, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Our extensive collection of Classic, Traditional and Modern designs is sold throughout the US and expanding international markets. Seaside Casual is an award winning manufacturer, recognized for exceptional customer service,

Today, more than ever, design is vital for sustainability objectives. Working with Coca-Cola we created a best-in-class, global super-lightweight water bottle. With 30% reduced plastic and 100% recyclable, the bottle requires less energy to make and transport than previous bottle designs. Combined with an innovative “arrow” design, the bottle encourages consumers to twist and compact the bottle; reducing environmental impact.

The Grow Room is more furniture than farm

Can you imagine growing your own food in a friendly indoor orb? Now you can, I guess, with help from futurist designers at IKEA and a local fabrication shop. The Grow Room is an idealistic product to make vertical gardening and localized food production a little more attainable. It was

These cool geometric vases aren't just a fancy set of homeware, they're a gesture of repurposing aimed at reducing waste. The slim vessels were designed by Libero Rutilo to bring fun futuristic design to the issue of overuse and waste of PET bottles around the world. After reflecting on the

Get in on the ground floor with this career opportunity

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY We are a design/build innovation startup looking for an Industrial Designer inside our Seattle area design office. This is an opportunity to join a rapidly growing company on the ground floor and to influence the development of an innovative modular building product for housing. We work

Get more light while using less electricity

At certain times of year, the sun bounces off of a glass skyscraper outside my window and illuminates my apartment from an unusual angle. And the room then looks dramatically different. The sun has to thread the needle to hit this position, and the phenomenon only lasts for a few

Given the company's size and global reach, this is a huge plus for both the planet and consumers

This month Ikea released their KUNGSBACKA line of cabinet faces, which are made from 100% recycled materials. Interestingly, they're using a blend of both post-manufacturing and post-consumer waste: The particleboard is made from factory-environment wood cut-offs as well as old broken pieces of furniture, and what Ikea refers to

A mini farm with massive yields

Local Roots has finally made a mini farm that correctly combines the structural benefits of shipping containers with the difficulties of urban farming. Shipping containers are a beloved source of reengineering inspiration, but their reuse is often un-green and impractical. Similarly, there are so many fancifully farm-filled architecture concepts out

The dino-sized Dutchman Tree Spade

I had no idea that it was possible to transplant trees. Then again I don't have any experience working with nursery distribution centers, and a company called Dutchman Industries does, having been spun off from one in the early 1970s. Dutchman specializes in the mechanization of the field operations required